Everyone is familiar with the typical traditional medical treatment routine for an ankle sprain, the most common cause of ankle pain: ice, elevation, wrapping with a bandage or wearing a brace and rest, i.e., staying off the ankle. This is also known as RICE treatment (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation), and is a common practice for most sports-related injuries. The problem with this treatment approach is that it decreases inflammation(inflammation heals!) at a time when the injured area needs it most, resulting, unfortunately, in decreased healing. In other words, it does nothing to repair the injured or weakened ligaments involved and, thus, does not alleviate the chronic pain that people with this condition experience. And while exercises designed to strengthen the muscles that support the ankle may be beneficial, they rarely resolve the chronic pain.
Approach to decrease ankle swelling: Hand-in-hand with the RICE treatment approach is another standard practice of traditional medicine: injecting steroids or prescribing anti-inflammatory medications. However, in the long run, these treatments do more damage than good. Although cortisone shots and anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to produce short-term pain benefit, both result in long-term loss of function and even more chronic pain by actually inhibiting the healing process of soft tissues and accelerating cartilage degeneration. Plus, long-term use of these drugs can lead to other sources of chronic pain, allergies and leaky gut syndrome.
Decision for ankle surgery: When all else fails, patients who experience chronic ankle pain may be referred to a surgeon. Unfortunately, surgery often makes the problem worse. Surgeons will use x-ray technology as a diagnostic tool, which does not always properly diagnose the pain source.
Addressing ankle anatomy: A better approach, in our opinion, is to strengthen the ligaments supporting the lateral ankle, the area most commonly sprained, with Prolotherapy. Chronic ankle sprains have been effectively eliminated with Prolotherapy treatments. If the sprain is the result of turning the ankle outward rather than inward, Prolotherapy treatments are applied to the deltoid ligament. A physical examination and thorough conversation with a Prolotherapy physician can identify the exact ligament weakness in need of strengthening.
Prolotherapy as a treatment for ankle pain: Chronic pain is most commonly due to cartilage deterioration, tendon weakness or ligament weakness or injury, as is the case with chronic ankle pain. The safest and most effective natural medicine treatment for repairing tendon, ligament and cartilage damage is Prolotherapy. In simple terms, Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair painful areas. It does so by inducing a mild inflammatory reaction in the weakened ligaments and cartilage. Since the body heals by inflammation, Prolotherapy stimulates healing.
Prolotherapy offers the most curative results in treating chronic pain. It effectively eliminates pain because it attacks the source: the fibro-osseous junction, an area rich in sensory nerves. What’s more, the tissue strengthening and pain relief stimulated by Prolotherapy is permanent!
Caring Medical is a full time Prolotherapy doctor’s office. We have successfully treated all of the conditions we write about. This is why patients travel from across the country and internationally to be treated by our Prolotherapy physician Dr. Ross Hauser. The difference is in the care, technique, and experience you get with Dr. Hauser and team at Caring Medical
The treatment regimens suggested here are based on the experience of Caring Medical. They do not apply to every case or condition. A person using these recommendations without the aid of a personal physician does so at their own risk.
This information is provided for informational purposes only. It is essential to have your condition evaluated by your own personal physician.
For an appointment with Ross Hauser, M.D., please call 708-848-7789. or email us at scheduling@caringmedical.com.
